


The Aisles of Avaris

by bamboofoxfireproductions



Series: Nightfall by Le'letha Spin-off Stories [2]
Category: HTTYD, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Original Work
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animal Language, Animalspeak, Bird Riders, Birdspeak, Body Language, Cross-Species Adoption, Crossover, Cultural Differences, Dragon Riders, Dragons, Dragonspeak, Fantasy, Feral Behavior, Gen, Giant birds, Humans, Nightfall - Freeform, Raised by Animals, Secret Culture, Secret Society, Spin-Off, Vikings, based off of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 23:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5310977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bamboofoxfireproductions/pseuds/bamboofoxfireproductions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long flight, Hiccup and Toothless discover an isolated island where something other than dragons rule the skies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> -sheepishly laughs- Well I got this itch that wouldn't go away and finally decided to just do the thing. If you haven't yet, you should read Nightfall and its growing collective sidestories by Le'Letha. I've got my sort of spin-off story going off of Nightfall(with permission) with one of my original characters named Alekt(called Learning from the Masters if you haven't read it yet) and I got a really bad itch to write my canon version of Alekt rather than the AU one I did for LftM to fit the HTTYD universe so I decided to do a drabble.
> 
> To be entirely honest I can't get enough of this version of feral!Hiccup and Toothless so that's why I'm doing it this way instead of with canon!Hiccup&Toothless X3 and playing with "what if" scenarios is my addiction.
> 
> This is after the events of Nightfall, in case any are wondering, so after having met Astrid and Stoick and fighting the Red Death. Enjoy~

It is a long flight and Toothless's wings are tired.

They were flying to far places, beyond the Nest and beyond the islands that they have already explored and still they are _wanting_ and _restless_ because there is still always and ever more places to see that are new and strange and sometimes dangerous and sometimes wonderful. They have flown _too far_ before but this has been the too-farthest yet and they are tired and there is nowhere to land except for open ocean and that is no place to rest for them.

The only other things they have seen in the long stretch of blue are _pfikingr_ \- Viking - ships and those are no place for dragons to be. _Pfikingr_ are threats. They catch and kill dragons and even though they are dumb and cannot fly they can make things that are clever and dangerous and while they have snuck into _pfikingr_ places and raided them before they were not keen on resting in a _pfikingr_ place and letting down their guard.

Now they are simply riding the wind as it flows because it _aches_ to keep flapping wings but letting the wind do most of the work helps ease some of the struggle as they search for a safe place to land and rest and do not try to think that maybe the ocean simply keeps stretching on without end.

Now is one of the times that Hiccup feels most frustrated. Frustrated because of a revelation that struck him some seasons ago because of a She- _pfikingr_ of which _Uh strrrTT_ is the closest sound he can make. In body, Hiccup is human, but in heart he is all dragon and half of Toothless and Toothless is half of himself. To be without each other is inconceivable because together they have always been two-who-are-one and this has always been the way of things. His shape doesn't and hasn't ever mattered to Toothless or the nest: he is a dragon.

Its because of this though - he realizes now - that he has never grown wings like his nestmates, nor a tail, and that this is why he has never been able to breathe fire; why Toothless has had to carry him when they fly, even though Hiccup has made his own wings that are good for gliding and some flying when the winds are good.

What frustrates him now is that he cannot be the one to fly _for_ Toothless and carry him so that Toothless can rest even when there is no land to perch on. He doesn't explore the thought far enough to realize that if he were big enough to do that, he would be too big for Toothless to carry anyway and it would be a moot point, only enough to feel guilt and frustration.

He can do many things that his dragon kin cannot even lacking wings and a tail and fire; he has clever paws which are good for freeing nestmates from traps that snap and coil and it has saved many dragons that otherwise could not be freed. It makes him a valuable member of the Nest and he is proud of what he can do to benefit in a way no other dragon can but there are times when his lacking in other things still trouble him. It sometimes keeps him up trying to work out the problem and create a way to be more dragon than he already is, as he did when he made his own wings, but some things cannot be fabricated no matter how much or often he has tried. Size is one of those things, and while he doesn't particularly _dislike_ being smaller than Toothless and many other dragons, he simply knows there are advantages to being big, just as there are also advantages to being small.

Hiccup stretches his body and lightly curls muscles that are growing stiff from laying in the same place on Toothless's back, lazily rubbing his face against the black dragon's head-scales in affection before sitting up properly to look even though all the other times he has seen nothing worth noticing.

He looks down and he sees the shape of some flocks of fish near the surface that are tempting but he draws no attention to them. He is hungry, but they can hunt later because hunger can wait while they sleep but they cannot _fly_ while they sleep and if they fall into the sea from exhaustion they will drown, and he sees occasional bigger shapes that he knows are sharks and sharks are threats with teeth that can tear through even dragonhide which is even more reason to avoid the deep waters.

Hiccup trills a question _flying far good you good little more yes love tired flying you we good farther?_

Toothless glances back and wavers a little to the side enough to concern the dragon boy but corrects his path with a few light flicks of his wings and assures _good yes yes reassurance love farther flying good yes love reassurance yes_.

Hiccup hums in a way that says he is not convinced but there is nothing to argue until there is a place to land. Instead he watches for land or floating ice, even for abandoned ships that sometimes break into pieces and float in the sea. Sometimes there are entire parts of the ship-ground where the hollow caves underneath have filled or broken away and the ship-ground floats by itself. Other times there are ship-trees rising out of the water which could serve just as much a good perch as the ship-ground if it rises high enough.

It is when day is ending, lighting the horizon and distant clouds on fire with blazes of red and orange and gold, that they see something in the distance and it looks like an island with tall mountains and trees. The mountains are taller than any they have ever seen, narrower at the bottom and wider at the top, and most of all they extend straight up at harsh angles that would make them hard if not impossible to climb. Bordering the edges of the island are great sea fangs of stone, and some are not fangs but instead legs for the mountains where they extend over the sea and cast it into shadows.

It is an impressive place. Bigger and more impressive than the nest their Alpha has made and more than the mountain of the terrible dragon-eater Queen, and they never thought that they would be so happy to be _not_ _flying_ soon!

Tiredness has not made them unwary of new surroundings however and they are fast to listen and sniff for signs of things that are a threat or things that are unknown. There are no smells to indicate that _pfikingr_ have been here recently nor any _pfikingr_ things on the shore or beyond the trees that they can see. There is no scent of dragons at all, which is especially strange to them as it is rare for there to be no signs of dragon even in places where there are humans.

There are other scents though that they both can recognize; bird scent is especially strong here, and they think this must be a good thing because it is spring time and sea birds make big nests with many members all over certain islands, and many bird nests means eggs and chicks they can raid and eat. There is no noise to indicate this however and spring sea bird nestings of large size are usually noisy even at night. There's no telling if the birds are merely quiet or if their hatchlings have already grown and left but they know they will be listening and watching for signs of bird nests they can raid for an easy meal. Even if there are no nests where they can steal from sea birds are good at finding and stirring up big hordes of fish from the sea so they will probably get an easy meal either way.

There is the smell of other preythings too and there are also wild dogs and boars and many other creatures but most of them smaller and not worth worrying over. If any of them become a threat, they can fly away or blast it with fire.

When they deem there are no threats, they land on a higher rock and Hiccup slides from Toothless- _love_ 's back so that the black dragon can stretch out the soreness of his wings from staying aloft for so long. In the fading light things are becoming harder to see. There are some trees that may be good for tail-hanging from but he does not think that Toothless will be eager to sleep that way after they have been flying so far.

There is also dead trees that line parts of the shore, leafless and stripped of bark and white like great bones, some which are bigger than his Toothless-self is, with tall grasses growing all around them. There is one place he finds that looks like a good spot to nest, where many of the tree-bones are piled to make walls and there is lots of grass between that can cushion them comfortably and without itching like sand does. They will not be easy to see there before they hear or smell danger coming and there is still enough room to launch straight upwards into the sky or towards the sea or woods if they need to flee suddenly.

 _Here nest good place found here Toothless-heart of mine good safe nesting yes yes found come tired resting you_ he calls and the dragon follows him to investigate and croons agreement _good place yes yes find tired hurting good nesting yes good you mine good tired good nesting_ before turning around and around between the tree-bones and patting the tall grass down into a proper circle beneath his paws to curl up and rest finally.

Before long dragon and dragon-boy are nestled together in a small pile of black scales and it is only Hiccup who stays awake as he is not as tired and one of them should keep watch and listen to the sounds of the night for signs of danger.

Occasionally he hears curious sounds or rustling and crawls from where he is laying against Toothless's scales to perch where he can peek over the tree-bones to be sure nothing has smelled them and is stalking closer but nothing worth worrying over ever comes close. At one point there is a fox that pokes its head over the wall of dead trees, sniffing curiously, but it quickly turns tail and sprints back into the dark woods the second that Hiccup starts to move. It's gone so fast that he only sees its tail disappear into the bushes by the time he climbs to the top of the wall.

More concerning is the howl of wolves halfway through the night, and there is many of them from what he hears. Toothless hears them too and stirs, but he isn't quick to take to the air, as they are still some distance away and Hiccup hasn't raised any alarms. Sometimes for fun they will mimic the sound and howl in return. A few times they have had lone or small groups of wolves appear looking confused to find dragons instead. It is a fun game but they will only play when they feel up to howling-and-fleeing because wolves are predators too and some are not afraid to hunt dragons if they can catch them and are clever group hunters.

Tonight they are too tired and so they only listen in case the howls come closer so they will be ready to leave if wolves do appear. Night eventually starts to become day and there is no sound of them again or fresh smells on the wind. They share the morning with laziness, awake but still aching and needing to rest. Hiccup takes his turn to nap for a while and Toothless watches and listens, stretching one wing out and covering his smaller self with the other.

The sun reaches this place at odd angles, glaring directly at them and hitting pale mountain walls on the far side in the morning, but towards the afternoon as it flies higher in the sky, the light gives way to day-shadows that encompass the entire stretch of that part of island. There are long shadows where the sea fangs block the light of day and long beams of light that hit only some parts of land where the light reaches between them.

Then there is the mountains themselves, which stretch high above and curve, like a tall top jaw of yawning stone and blocks the rest of the sun. It is an unnerving thought that an entire mountain could be a dragon's head, but they have seen that the world has a heart-fire inside it and so it too must have a mouth somewhere and a tail and wings far away somewhere. If the world is indeed a dragon and this is its mouth though, so far it has not eaten them, and there are many other things living here that are good to eat too but that it has not, so he deems they are safe and he will be sure to fly only if it intends to eat them.

It is in that afternoon that they have enough lazy-resting. Now they must hunt, for they've already ignored their hunger pains too long and it claws at both of them and the ocean smells crisp and alive with many things. They still have not heard or seen sea birds and the scent of them is staler than it was the day before. It is a sad thought that they have already missed the big-nesting-gathering and the chance of getting eggs from their nests to eat but they will do just fine with fish instead and the cold water will do good to soothe the soreness of tired muscles from long flying.

What they find when they go to the sea edge at first is strange. They have been on many beaches and islands and the water always crashes toward land, throwing foam and waves and carrying things to shore which are sometimes of no interest but on the rare occasion are good like food or _pfikingr_ things that Hiccup can find use for. They had been too worried about watching for danger and resting the night before and it had been dark, but now they notice that the water moves strangely, like a rough-fast river just after the snowmelt.

Rough-fast waters are dangerous places. It is easy to get swept away in them and hard to get out, even for a dragon that can fly. The currents have claws that grab and pull and push to drown anything unlucky enough to get caught in them and often they are filled with lots of sharp branches that will pierce scale-skin and hard rocks that will break bones. They have both been in one before where they survived with cracked bones. They've seen other creatures die by drowning or being stabbed through on branches that the waters threw them against and at one point a dragon that had its wing torn too much to ever fly again. All are experiences they do not wish to repeat or experience.

This creates other problems for them. If the sea has rough-fast waters, then how will they hunt for fish? They ponder together what they should do because they will not risk being in such waters and being clawed or bone-broken or drown but they must eat soon and while raw meat is okay for Toothless to eat it is not okay for Hiccup because it makes him sick. They must either find a way to obtain fish or find another source of food.

They muse back and forth _fast-rough waters bad danger caution_ and Hiccup whimpers _hungry fish bad fast-rough waters fish need find go fly maybe calm water farther fish yes perhaps?_ and Toothless hums agreement. When they fly farther out, they can see that the fast-rough waters end past the sea fangs where the sun finally touches their backs again.

What they can also see is that there are fish, flocking in groups close to the surface. The water is deeper, but they are used to hunting over open water, so this is no problem for them. It is a simple matter of diving-and-grabbing and it is easier to succeed when there are many fish in a group. Sometimes they miss and other times they manage to grab a fish or two and take to the air again, letting the wind as they fly roll water off of their scales and skin.

They ride together for a few dives and most of them Toothless eats in the air but some he holds and saves for Hiccup and they land to finish eating what they have caught for now as they wait for the startled fish to regroup as they are swimming deeper to avoid the dragon pair. The first swallows of food hurt from the previous emptiness but all of it is good and fills them with new energy.

Hiccup eats his fill as he is smaller and needs less to eat and then they return to hunting for a while until Toothless is also satisfied. The sun and wind is warm and the water cold, both of which help to liven them and when they have finished hunting they both glide for a while and let the good winds carry them. Toothless is still tired and his wings ache for rest but he doesn't complain of it and he won't leave Hiccup to fly alone in a strange place where fast-rough waters divide land and sea.

Even though he makes no sign of it, Hiccup stills knows and chirrs _hurting flying tired still?_ in concern.

Toothless considers denying it. He knows that his companion wishes to fly as they are and that he does not like to hold still long, but they also need their energy if they expect to fly away from this place, and if danger comes they need enough energy to make the distance or they will risk falling into the ocean and drowning or being preyed on by sharks. He thrums back _tired still sore long flying resting should yes_ so they return to their temporary nest of tree-bones and long grass.

Hiccup doesn't stay still on the ground and Toothless doesn't expect him to, but he warns _careful you reckless silly caution still love love strange caution careful love._ Hiccup purrs his reassurance in return and _promise careful love love will be yes promise promise_. He does not think there is much to be careful of besides maybe wolves but neither of them have smelled any and heard nothing since the late part of the night before and they know that he will not go farther than where Toothless can see and hear him if trouble happens.

There are many trees of varying sizes. Some are smaller or normal size and some are bigger than most trees Hiccup has ever seen.

Somewhere near the edge of the trees and grass some wild hares startle from hiding and bolt down a hole in the ground that Hiccup marks in his mind for later investigation and maybe hunting. He cannot eat raw meat but Toothless can and rabbit fur can be a useful thing against the cold or to line nests.

There are birds as small as his paws flitting through the trees and some of them are noisy and complaining so he thinks there might be nests somewhere in the trees so he looks and climbs some of them hoping for a nest with unhatched eggs but sadly turns up nothing.

At some point, he realizes that the fox from last night has come back and is stalking him thinking it is being sneaky. If it were a wolf he would have been concerned but foxes are small and cowardly so he does not need to fear and easily scares it away. It comes back, staying at a distance he cannot strike from but following and watching him all the same. After three short chases Hiccup gives up and lets the fox follow him because it is no threat and is probably only out to steal food he does not have anyway. Only when the fox gets too comfortable with him and ventures close enough to strike does he leap and chase it again but it is fast and knows what it is doing and it quickly becomes a game of taunt-and-run and the distraction is not a bad one.

It is when Toothless comes out from the nest they have made that the fox flees without coming back this time but the dragon-man is not disappointed at all when his partner- _love_ invites him _you we love flying yes rested good relief love love flying up up yes you we fly_. Hiccup is still a little hesitant at first but Toothless is confident and he trusts his other half to know when he is good to fly and he obliges so they can take to the air.

Now they can explore the island more properly and they skim the cliffs and over the trees. There are thick woods and open patches of grass and gentle streams with good water for drinking. They sight boars mostly from above and are glad that they have not run into them on the ground because boars are dangerous preythings.

They see no wolves and there are no sea birds anywhere though there are hints of fresher scents now as they fly through the shadow of the mountains. If they are lucky they will still find a nesting-gathering of sea birds with eggs or small chicks. They are not so foolish to raid during the day because sea birds are small but they are many and will defend their nestings fiercely with sharp beaks that sting like bees and leave deeper wounds. Sea birds are clumsy and don't see well at night though and that is when it is a good time for them to raid when they can see better and are harder to see themselves with black scales.

They fly out from beneath the shadow of the cliffs and over open water, ascending to skim along the edge of mountain where it overlooks ocean, and there is a mutually felt tension. It is the tension of being watched and hunted when they cannot see an enemy but they are in the _sky_ where only dragons and birds are and where they are fastest and most comfortable so they are not as wary as they would be on the ground but they are watching for a threat all the same.

It is as they are flying and watching that a movement above catches their eyes, something dropping from the cliffs above.

Hiccup cries a warning and instinctively leans in the same direction as Toothless and they dip away in a hurry as two huge feet lined in deadly claws launch forward from the shape and misses only by a short distance and keeps going down past them. They hear a loud, deep _SNAP_ of air underwing and the attacker swoops back upwards and towards them. They bank sharply, reversion direction with how far they turn and zip past the ambusher with incredibly speed, trying to put distance between them and it. When they finally have, they bank to the side to get a better look.

The attacker is a bird. It is a very _BIG_ bird, at least as big as Cloudjumper! Its feathers appear black with splashes of orange and red all around its head and neck like fire, with red and gold wings and a long and wide tail. It is not a kind of bird they have ever seen though the closest association they can make is that it is a very big crow and crows are much more clever than sea birds and now there is one here that is _bigger_ than them and is _hunting_ them and where there is one attacking crow there are _many_ and they know they have to flee _fast now danger bad go go fly threat away!_

The big fire-color-crow comes at them and they quickly turn away from it and fly as fast as Toothless's wings can carry them and the bird chases. Their wings pump faster but the bigger bird's wing beats push it farther and there is a moment of indecision. There is open water to one side and the island to the other. If they fly far enough over the ocean it might give up, but they are still too wing-tired from the long flying to make it all the way back. They are smaller and more maneuverable though, and smaller is an advantage because they can reach places that bigger things cannot and hide until it tires and leaves.

They choose the island, but first they must slow down or confuse their pursuer. They weave between the sea fangs and the bird chases them. They immediately weave out towards the sea again, and the bird pursues, but only by weaving through a gap of different sea fangs further out. For as big as it is, it can move fast and turn through the air well, but they are still smaller and more maneuverable and can weave and change direction much better. Toothless flies and Hiccup watches; Hiccup doesn't need to say anything about which way to go, Toothless can feel his tension and the lean of his body, and instinctively they dart between the sea fangs again.

This time when they fly towards the sea, they double back and shoot straight up, following the path of the sea fang towards the sky and cliffs above. It is enough to make the bird lose their trail, only for a few seconds, but enough that it has lost its speed and will not be able to chase them quite so much. Far above, they skim just under the roof of the mountain's maw and dive for the trees, dropping through the sky like a black bolt. It is a risky dive, but it is exhilarating and they are the _best_ flyers! Toothless snaps his wings open and zips into the cover of the trees, and they weave between trunks and through bushes, until finally landing where their speed makes his paws skid.

They hide in the denseness of the forest and Toothless curls his long body around the base of the tree so that the thick branches hide them better and his tail is not sticking out in plain view. It is dark enough under the maw of the mountain that the shadows hide them well enough. The bird flies overhead, but it does not see them easily and they do not move or make a sound like they have seen many a prey thing do and they know from having lost many potential kills that blending and not moving is a good strategy when the lighting and terrain is right.

The bird circles a few times, but it does not attack, so they think their plan to hide and be still must be working. It opens its beak and _craws_ a few times, and there is a whistling sound that they think must be the bird. There are other birds in the forest but they are not crow-birds and are as small as Hiccup's paws and these they pay no mind at first but then they begin to chatter angrily and _swarm_ and attack and _sting_ and _bite_ like bees and even dive and _poo_.

At first they are nothing but an annoyance to be ignored because the bigger-than-dragon bird above is _hunting_ them but soon there are so many small birds that they cannot see past the flurry of feathers and beaks and swiping at them with claws and quietly snarling and biting is not helping at all. Some of the small birds find their way under Hiccup's outer scales and attack his soft flesh under them and he yelps out.

Having enough, Toothless leaps forward and gallops through the trees because the air is still not a safe place and the birds chase them. It is only when they reach the edge of the trees somewhere off course from where they first flew in and there is nowhere else to hide well that he launches upwards and they fly, quickly outrunning the smaller birds and breaking out towards sea. Toothless's wings are still tired from the long-flight but they will have to make do anyway until there are no more angry bird swarms and giant hunting birds after them.

The huge bird moves to get in their way, but this time they are more ready for it and coordinated. Toothless whistles fire in the back of his throat and send the blast straight for it, not deviating from their path. The bird screeches in alarm and swerves to the side, but the fire catches it in the side of the chest near the wing and send it barreling from the sky and out of their way.

They think this is good and victorious and that they are free to fly far away if they still need to, but something jumps off of the bird's back as soon as they are flying past it. They do not expect it, so they do not react before the thing has crashed on top of them both. Hiccup and Toothless scream in alarm, but the attacking thing which is roughly the same size as Hiccup himself is has its focus more on Hiccup than Toothless and it has sharp claws that pierce him even through his scales, grappling and twisting and rolling so that they leave Toothless's back and careen through open air.

Hiccup is not afraid of falling most times because it is as much a part of flying and that is most of what he knows and lives. He is a dragon and he belongs in the sky, on Toothless's back holding onto the fly-with or soaring with his own wings that he made for himself. Falling is not something he fears, because he has his own wings and he has Toothless to catch him, but now he is falling and _fighting_ as an enemy he does not know digs sharp claws in and holds on tightly and makes no discernible sound.

What parts his eyes catch are alien; there are things that he thinks appear _pfikingr_ in origin and it has legs not unlike his own but there are feathers and a beaked head and claws and scent that reeks of bird and sea; he does not know exactly _what_ he is dealing with but he knows that it is an _enemy_ and he screams and fights to distance himself where he can spread his wings or where Toothless can catch him away from the threat before he can hit the sea because he knows hitting water still hurts and can break bones if it is from too high up.

He claws and fights and kicks and tries to bite his enemy away and eventually _it_ is the one to kick him away and spreads open its own wings that catch air. He wastes no time in doing the same and veers in the other direction. The roar of panic in his ears is louder than an ocean storm, but Toothless's still overrides it and he knows without looking that his dragon-partner is coming to him. He trusts without looking that Toothless will catch him and is rewarded when his other half swoops just beneath him to catch the dragon-boy on his back where he can grab the fly-with and launches forward as fast as his wings can go.

Hiccup spares a glance back, but the large bird is not pursuing, but as soon as he turns to look ahead again, there is movement, and he barely has the time to glance up before _another_ huge bird is upon them, and with a scream, both are caught in its talons and crash beneath the ocean waters.


	2. Chapter 2

There are teachers and students, but everyone, at some point, plays their part in the teachings of the youth. Today is one of those days that it becomes his turn, though the only announcement that he gets is from the children and fledglings themselves that decide its a good day to follow him to every nook and cranny they can possibly likewise reach.

That's fine. Its as good a time as any for lessons. The smaller birds - the ones that could fit comfortably in his very palm - have been complaining since the day before, screeching _Dragon!_ for the entire colony to hear. When it reaches them and the larger birds, it spreads even faster. Soon, everyone knows, likely except for the dragon itself. The small birds make for a good alarm system, since they are hardly noticeable and no one would think of what else lurked higher above.

Dragons could be a problem. It depended on the dragon. Most weren't large enough to pose a threat of size, but they often wielded fire, and dragons love bird eggs as a source of food. Now was spring-time, when they'll be hungry and restless.

Especially now, so close to the start of Frieri Ytelse - the most important event in all of Spring for their people. They can't risk incident or distraction during such an important time.

Still, most solitary dragons flee as soon as they see what lives on the isles, and it will be a good lesson for the next generation.

Its with that in mind that he and Årvåken prepare to find this dragon and chase it off if need be, and they probably will need to.

Årvåken is a magnificent bird. Not the largest on the isles, certainly not even close, but large enough, with a red-black body and flame-colored accents all the way down her hackles and tail, and wings that are a medley of red and gold. Her tail is almost twice as long as her body and wings each individually longer than that. Her tail though is lined all the way down in large feathers that are almost like more pairs of smaller wings, each which she can operate separately from every other tail feather. In that way, she can catch more wind and go higher when she needs too; can dive almost as well as any other; can control her direction more precisely than almost any other bird in the colony. It helps too that she is a very intelligent bird, maybe even more than he is.

He chose well when he chose her.

Under the colony and within the mountain are winding ravines and catacombs, at first formed naturally, but his kind have been working for generations to polish and refine them into passageways. Many of them aren't good for flying through, still too narrow for wingspans that often easily reach one-hundred feet wide or more, but large enough to hop from perch to perch, picking their way through.

The air inside the passageways is often warm and humid, but that is more or less to be expected; there are volcanic vents that run underneath the islands and the ocean. Much of the radiant heat reaches their home at the top, warm drafts wafting up from far below.

Following at their tail are several young birds and children who will one day be their partners-in-flight. Årvåken is quiet beneath him, but the fledglings are much less so, even when they try to be stealthy.

There's a lot of bickering that is common in young and wondering-aloud of ideas and thoughts that are abstract or they don't yet have the language to describe, vocalizing to learn from each other and from their own voices. Its a jumble of sounds that are both human and bird in origin, thrown together into a language all their own.

The Avaris are not entirely isolated. They speak the Norse tongues and the common trade-language used between many lands as well as various bird languages and human-made words known only in the colony(in that way, they speak most often what is actually a mix of three or four languages together, two which are unique to only them). They hear news from merchants and travelers alike, listen to tales that may or may not be rooted in truth, buy goods they find useful and sell things they don't need. Their home and their culture, as well as their bird-partners, however, are not a secret they care to share with the rest of the world. There are many reasons for it, and most of them are with good purpose and intention.

Too many would fear them. Others would hate them. There would be those who envied them and wanted to take what was theirs. There were those who would see their people and their birds as nothing more than a prize to be won like a trophy and conquered. Others yet would see it as a resource to exploit, and like many domestic species, they would treat the birds and perhaps the people as well as nothing more than slaves to their whims and abuse them until there was nothing left.

Their life was a good one, one that perhaps they sometimes took for granted, but there was never a time where their people were not wary of outsiders, who might so easily be able to destroy everything of their way of life. Only very rarely, they sometimes take in and integrate strangers who have nowhere else to go and who the colony deems trustworthy to keep their secrets.

Upon reaching a wider chasm, Alekt and Årvåken pause to wait for the fledglings to join them in overlooking the space, which stretches for a ways in either side, with a wide space between their perch and the next, but the longest way is down, and the fledglings voice as such with great unease.

_Long way down!_

_High-fall._

_Sca-a-a-a-ry!_

The best cure for uneasiness is leading by example, to show them that it is easy. They tell the younglings _Watch-and-Do_. The fledgling group huddles back a ways when Årvåken bunches beneath him, rocking up and down on her haunches and counting a _ready-one-two-three-jump_ sound and hopping across.

Little-known and accepted fact; birds can count. Common birds not unique to the Avaris can count at least into the low teens, though it is more by visual recognition than vocalization. Larger birds like Årvåken can go even higher and can form distinct sounds to separate each number just as humans do. They can recognize and arrange things by size from smallest to largest, or by shape, or by color. Some common species can even solve complex problems and puzzles with ease that would stump five-year-old children.

Its no exaggeration that Alekt wonders if his partner may be smarter than him, and he is considered one of the smartest of his generation.

Rather than be intimidated by it, he thrives on it. The two of them together are even more of an advantage to their colony because they are both intelligent, and they collaborate equally rather than work on a basis of master-and-servant. Alekt doesn't have to spend time on training her to do much of anything, as she figures out what he wants almost as soon as he's thought of it, and she is eager to please and listen to his whim because he respects everything that she is and doesn't underestimate what she can do or force her to do what she can't. In a way, its exactly because of that that she can do so much more than many of her fellow birds in a shorter amount of time, spurred by their shared absolute trust.

Its an easy leap for her; it won't be so easy for them. The best way to learn it though is by doing, and the two encourage from the other side _Confidence! Faith! Leap!_ The fledglings will be unsteady at first, but their instincts won't betray them.

For a while, they shuffle about, one going to the edge and then backing up into the others, peeping. Its expected. They wait, and wait. Eventually one pair builds up the nerve to try, sort-of rushing at the ledge but also hopping much like Årvåken did, and leaping the gap. Their wings aren't yet developed for flying, but the fledgling flutters them anyway on instinct, peeping in fright, but they clear the gap if only barely, scrambling claws across the stone.

 _Good jump. See, easy! Be Proud!_ Årvåken vocalizes, fluffing herself up. The fledgling and child do, beaming with praise and happiness.

 _Next jump_ , Alekt calls, attention turning to the two pairs who haven't yet tried to cross. The next fledgling makes the crossing. There is only one pair left now, but they are the least confident, hovering at the edge and focusing on the potential fall instead of the leap.

 _Easy, leap!_ Årvåken encourages. _Easy easy! Do!_

The fledgling circles around on the ledge for a moment, pacing. Now its simply a game of patience on their side and confidence on the last partner-pair's. After some indecision, the last pair rush at the ledge, but its half-hearted and they lose conviction, skidding to a stop short and peeping refusal. _No no! Big scary no-good too far!_

 _Trust,_ Alekt orders. _Leap, wings, instinct. Together, trust._ The Avaris are, by all rights, human. But they have lived in their colony for many generations. Flight is as much in their blood as it is natural for their birds, bred through decades and centuries. They simply need to trust those instincts which already exist, and more importantly, in their flight-partners.

 _Together trust! Unstoppable!_ Årvåken backs up confidently. _Practice! Easy! Leap-before-fly!_ After all, jumping even when their wings are not yet developed is still a taste of flight. They will feel the lift and the taste of wind and thirst for more. That is how fledging works. Every higher leap is another breeze that tugs underwing and draws them closer to the endless expanse of the sky - the domain where birds belong most.

 _Easy! Easy! We do! You too!_ the other fledglings and children reinforce in accomplishment.

Finally, the last partner-pair rush at the ledge and leap across. They fall short, but Årvåken and Alekt are ready and catch them with her beak, careful not to harm either of them as she snaps them in her beak and drops them onto a safe ledge.

 _Brave. T_ _ried. Stronger. Better next try_ Alekt encourages neutrally, met with eyes that are wide and scared from the near-miss but relieved.

_Sca-a-ared. Almost fell. Long fall!_

_Didn't fall,_ Alekt shrugged simply. _No worry. Learn from._

Having cleared the chasm, they continued on through tunnels and from perch-to-perch. There was a lot of chatter from the fledgling-pairs along the lines of _Good, my leap!_ and _Long-fall scary!_ and _Sky longer-fall!_ and _Soon-flying, excited!_ along with other things, continuous and ongoing. Fledglings are loud, even by birds' standards.

Soon tunnels become open to the sky. Plants overhang the cliffs and in some places entire trees or root systems stretch from one stone wall to another, creating obstacles and new pathways alike. Many of them lead to branching tunnels and pathways through stone and forest or into alcoves that overlook the ocean below. Alekt knows every cubby and crevice of where they are, both those where the both of them can fit and those places where only he can reach, since Årvåken is so much larger than himself.

Immediately, they can see a black shape over the ocean, easily recognizable as a dragon. Its not massively large, at least, perhaps the size of a horse, but dragons on average tend to run _big_. This is one that they could easily scare with Årvåken's size alone.

It disappears underneath the shadow of the mountain and out of sight, but that's no trouble for him. Alekt slides from Årvåken's back and pushes aside some thick foliage deeper inland. There are openings in the mountain that overlook the understory, where thick roots and other plants overgrow to plug them up, but there are still spaces to see through without being seen, especially for a creature which is unfamiliar with the territory.

Alekt spots the aforementioned dragon curled up on the shore, resting. For now, that's fine. The mountainous isles that the Avaris call home are remote, and no doubt the dragon had probably flown a long way to reach it. They couldn't allow it to set up a nest here, but he would wait and observe for now.

Its not long before the children and fledglings grow curious and join him, climbing down amongst the tangle of thick roots and plants to peek through openings. Some of the gaps are small enough that the children might be able to fit through, but he isn't worried. Though likely other societies would deeply question it, their colony has many precarious paths and ledges, but its rare that any serious falls occur. Children are, in fact, quite adept navigators of perilous terrain, and there is usually someone somewhere in the colony ready to catch the less graceful. Climbing is a skill generally mastered from a young age.

Alekt ends up spending the time watching with asking and teaching the young about dragons, and this kind in particular.

Its a rare sight, one that he's never seen before, but he knows what sort of species he's dealing with. Few dragons have black scales. To the Norse tongue, it was known as the elusive Night Fury. To the Avaris, the _Blackbolt_. Fast, fierce, and predominantly nocturnal. With its rarity, chances were it was alone, so they didn't need to worry over flocks setting up residence. Even so, it could prove troublesome, so once it started to show more activity, he was going to need to chase it away. Årvåken too knew this without shared words.

They passed the time with Alekt questioning the young on how much they knew, beginning with identifying the species, then with other facts like how fast it could fly, how it attacked, what it was known to eat, and other things. The younglings would try to take measurements of how fast it was with comparisons like _slower-than-this-nestmate-but-faster-than-that-one,_ rolling the ideas and obscure measurements around vocally, not needing much encouragement at all to discuss between each other and their birds, who were small enough to kind-of fit just above and peak down into the tangle of roots but not squeeze in themselves. Parts about its species and attack-patterns were easy; most of it was hinted in the name.

They moved on after that to how would one deal with fighting or scaring off such a creature, especially one that could fly faster than most birds. Size was the obvious advantage, and posturing with wings and feathers was a big part of that. Every Avaris both bird and human knew the importance of this. Posturing was _everything_ , from social order to threat displays for warding off danger, though that wasn't to say that they were all-squawk and no-claw. When a conflict could be avoided however, a fight could be decided by posturing alone, without bloodshed and unnecessary injury. Preferably, that would be all it took to determine the outcome of a confrontation.

If posturing didn't work to dissuade the dragon though, then it became a matter of strength and speed. Agility and maneuverability was on the dragon's side, without doubt. It had its name for a reason, which meant that rather than only muscle their way through, they had to play it smart, outmaneuvering the beast in a matter of intelligence and strategy. Already they were working to do just that by waiting and observing, learning what they could about it before going on the attack, while it was completely unaware of them.

At some point the children and fledglings grew bored, retreating away from the overhang of roots to play a small game with Årvåken keeping watch and making sure no one took an unfortunate or accidental tumble off the cliff side. That left Alekt to wait and watch as the afternoon dragged on.

Something else below moved around, and he couldn't be sure what it was, exactly. At first he'd thought it maybe a boar or a wolf, as it was also black but too small to be another dragon of the same kind, but his glances of it were fleeting at best. At one point the dragon finally moved, poking its head into the underbrush as if to investigate whatever creature was skulking around it, but he guessed it must have turned and fled when the dragon had moved towards it, or perhaps it had in turn scared the dragon off as the best took to the air. Soon enough, it would vanish from sight entirely if he didn't move accordingly, predicting where it would go.

He leaned over the edge of the roots so he could get a broader view, getting an idea for its direction before clamoring back up and to Årvåken.

 _Moving, Love_ , he told her, scaling up a wing that she outstretched and into the saddle between her powerful shoulders. _Dragon moving. Track. You-all too. Lesson._

The children bounced with curiosity and excitement, scrambling to get properly seated on their birds, not quite so graceful at it as the practiced older rider but still completing the task with ease. Beyond that task, they were uncoordinated, unsure exactly what they should be doing but moving about with a restlessness that they knew it should be _something_.

 _Open-spaces,_ Alekt pointed at the same root-strewn hole they had all been perched in earlier. _Find, look, tell. Follow close quick. Protect Nest._

 _Yes yes yes yes!_ the little ones chirped, feathers fluffing with a sense of importance at the task they were being given, however simple it was. Årvåken moved then with only the subtlest nudge of his toe into her flank, maneuvering through the plant life and jagged rock formations with the trio of fledglings-and-riders at their tail. They two oldest of the group didn't need to do a lot of looking to predict where the dragon would most likely fly, but it was experience the youth needed, scampering about behind in quick, fast steps and peaking through openings, trying to find ones that were easiest to see through.

 _This one!_ one of them peeped, almost teetering all the way down an opening to see, with child holding on tightly to neck-feathers as they rested their smaller body atop the crest of its head. They sprung back up, the child pointing. _That way, that way!_

They continued on their way, little birds and children frantically trying to find good places to look quickly before the dragon could get too far ahead of them.

 _Up up coming!_ one reported.

 _This way coming!_ relayed a second.

Soon, it would reach the edge of the overhang and reach the forest and caverns above, putting it much closer to the colony and making it a higher risk. The time to chase it away was now.

 _Silent,_ Alekt motioned. _Hunting._ The younglings all obeyed except for a few last dying chirps. _Watch, learn._

With that, Årvåken moved to the edge of the cliff, overlooking the open ocean and barely peeked her head over the edge, laying her feathers flat so as not to be noticed too easily by their motions.

 _Dragon,_ Årvåken quietly rumbled, indicating that she spotted it. Without noise, she bunched her legs beneath her just shy of the edge, splaying her long wings almost straight back and holding the position, only her head moving, tilting slightly one way or the other to judge distance and speed of her moving target before springing. Alekt adjusted his grip on her saddle, pulling a beaked mask with wind-goggles over his face that completely hid him as being human, then hooking the toes of his boots just beneath the bottom edges of the saddle, indicated with the lightest tap of his heel that he was ready to fall.

She sprung and kept her wings straight back to avoid the wind, her long tail folded into a tight line, and dove claws-first from straight above. The dragon didn't even notice them until the very last second, banking away from their swoop in a manner that is clearly startled. Even without using her wings yet, their descent creates a gust that offset's the dragon's flight slightly, making it waver in the air.

Årvåken leans slightly forward and snaps her wings straight out on either side of her, catching the wind, then flares the full length of her tail out and heads straight back up in one of the sharpest of turns. Alekt expects it and knows just how to flatten himself with the change in momentum, which might otherwise seriously hurt him if done improperly, but his people have had many generations to get this right, and he's been flying with Årvåken for many years. They know their own and each other's limitations.

They swoop upwards sharply, intending on limiting the dragon's maneuverability and time to react. If all goes as they want it to, the dragon will veer towards the open ocean never to return, thoroughly discouraged and scared of facing a predator even bigger than it.

The dragon moves aside to dodge them, as agile as stories indicate, and blaring past them going in the opposite direction. Alekt catches a glimpse then, something that appears leather tangled around it. He had seen the lighter brown against its black scales from afar, but hadn't known what it was. Now though, he caught a glance of what he almost thought might be a saddle, much akin to their own birds' or a horses', and something black - blending almost perfectly against the larger dragon - clung to its shoulders.

It made him pause for a moment, swiveled around on Årvåken's back as he watched and saw the smaller creature move independently of the Night Fury. It couldn't possibly be, could it?

He drummed his fingers in the exposed part between Årvåken's shoulders, _kek_ ing for her attention. _Dragon fly-partner._ He caught the incredulous look that his larger companion briefly gave him out of the corner of her eye with a quick glance.

 _Dragon fly-partner? No, crazy Love. Eye-trick._ He knew it sounded strange, and they'd never seen such a thing before, but their own people would not be believed from word alone that they rode on the backs of giant birds. Assuming that, somewhere, someone might have figured out a similar relationship with dragons was not so far-fetched.

 _Maybe,_ he hummed, leaning to indicate a turn. _Chase still, Love._ _Catch-and-see_ _. Human Far-Talk Threat._

She couldn't argue with that logic. Most creatures that found out a bigger predator ruled a territory stayed away from it, warning others to likewise keep distance and respecting its greater power. Humans were another matter. They sought to destroy bigger predators, if only because they feared it one day hunting them, even if a bigger predator had little interest in them and was far, far away. However, they couldn't hunt what they didn't know existed, and so hiding their existence from outside human cultures took top priority when dealing with intruders. That meant dealing with them in a different manner than the usual, straight forward chase-away.

She turned and continued following, keeping pace a close distance at the dragon's tail as it sped away, following the curve of the island's edge rather than fleeing for open waters. It looks as though the dragon and alleged rider can't decide which way to go, glancing between the ocean and the island before choosing the latter and diving between sea stacks.

Årvåken followed their sharp turn, angling her wings and her tail, folding in an entire side and widely splaying the other to maximize the sharpness of her turn, then switching it to be an exact mirror of her previous bank as the dragon tried to swerve back out between the tall stone legs. She couldn't angle herself enough to make the same turn, being much bigger overall, but she aimed for the next open space instead. It quickly becomes a test of weaving in and out, though even so, Årvåken can keep up the same speed even if she has to make broader maneuvers.

The fourth time they whip out from beneath the mountain, the dragon suddenly vanishes and they're forced to slow slightly, knowing it had to have changed direction. They catch the movement of it out of the corner of their eyes, barely brushing beneath the ceiling of the mountain's overhang and then diving like a well-shot arrow for the thick trees and foliage, hoping to disappear into the safety of cover too dense for Årvåken to properly traverse.

He and Årvåken circle a few times, watching for movement or trying to figure out exactly where the dragon and what Alekt is sure is a human rider have disappeared to, but the lighting is to their favor and they fly quite well. Even so, they aren't without a plan to flush the fire-breather out of hiding, having gone through this many times before. Årvåken clacks out a loud _Intruder-Mob-Chase_ noise and Alekt whistles shrilly into a part of his beak-mask meant to amplify sound, vocalizing _Attack!_

There are birds of all types and sizes on the island, and the Avaris know how to use all of them. The small birds work best as an alarm system, as they are hardly noticeable and all too common everywhere to be thought of as an unusual presence. Most creatures, human and otherwise, completely overlook them. That is to their great advantage, but its not the only one. They also reproduce quickly, so there are many of them, and having vast numbers is a valuable asset, even more in a place where they have the protection of the larger birds against their usual predators.

Before long, the woods are swarming with a cloud of birds, not only seeking out and harassing the dragon into leaving them, but also giving more of a visual of where they can expect the scaled beast to vacate from, biding their time in the air with circling until it finally shows itself.

Just as planned, the dragon comes sprinting out of the woods and launches into the air, straight towards the ocean to escape the avian assault, and both Alekt and Årvåken are ready for them, diving for it immediately. The dragon comes head-on, challenging them with a scream and the whistle of fire in the back of its throat. The warning of its incoming attack only lasts for a brief moment before a shot of violet flame shoots towards them.

Årvåken screeches warning of the incoming attack and sharply swerves to the side, the blast scorching just past her chest and side, catching mostly feathers but still swiping the surface of her skin. The dragon has kept its path true though, and its audacity to do so is exactly what is going to get it into trouble.

Alekt leaves the saddle and skillfully climbs across her back and onto her wing, even as Årvåken is barreling a full circle, unafraid of falling and using her movement to his advantage. At the most optimal point in her rotation, he leapt forward, using that same momentum to launch himself forward and onto the dragon's back, immediately pouncing on the other being on its back and dragging them into open air, digging metal-forged claws into what he assumed to be dragon-hide armor.

Both the dragon and what Alekt confirms to be a man scream in unison and sound exactly the same. He can see their face now, as well as longer, unkempt brown hair that whipped around in the wind and dull teeth that he bared in an animal snarl. The stranger's eyes were green - he noted - but there was a deep-rooted wildness to them, intelligent and terrified and ferocious all at once, grappling in equal skill through their free-fall as Alekt himself was able to.

The stranger that he had a hold of and clawed, who slashed and fought him in return, was definitely human, but by their feral expression and the way he struggled, Alekt wasn't entirely sure he _knew_ he was human.

Whatever the case, time was running short before they'd hit the water. He arched back, placing a foot on the other's hip and kicked off to separate them, creating distance. Årvåken was already diving to meet him, and the Night Fury was doing the same for its own rider, focused more on the stranger than on him. Alekt grasped the folds of cloth that was tightly wrapped around his frame, tugging it loose and unfurling it to catch the wind beneath him, his very own wings.

He was surprised to see the other man do similarly, with folds of cloth that followed his sides and legs that set him into a swift glide, with the dragon quickly making up the distance to catch him on its back. Alekt glanced upwards at the sky as a shadow fell, seeing a stark white shape at least as large as Årvåken, able to identify what bird it was in a heartbeat.

He turned his focus onto his fly-partner, who leveled herself with him where he could catch her saddle and return to flying together. As they turned around, they saw the other white-and-black/brown bird drop straight on top of the reunited dragon and rider, its aim perfect, and crashed into the water.

They leveled out, circling above the other large Avaris bird that resurfaced, flapping its wings to regain the sky beneath it instead of the water.

 _Always-late,_ Alekt greeted off-handedly, watching the figure on the bird's back. Just as he was dressed in blacks, reds, and golds that were akin to Årvåken's color, the rider on the other bird's back had hues of white, brown, and black that matched his fly-partner's feathers, most of the darks on top and lights on the bottom.

 _Here, still,_ they replied, trailing into a yawn as the monochromatic bird managed to lift itself from the waves, dragon and dragon-man trapped in its talons. _Fly-partner, dragon?_

 _Yes, strange. Catch. Investigate,_ Alekt confirmed. _Up. Cliff edge. Bring._ He indicated to Årvåken with a backwards lean and they headed straight up to the edge of the mountain, close to where they had first dropped down from and left the fledglings.

The black-feathered duo arrived first and indicated the curious fledglings keep a safe distance, also making room for Nao and Høsten - the white-and-black rider and bird - to land near them, still holding onto dragon and rider who were writhing for freedom now that the shock from the pounce had worn off. The dragon arched its head back, threatening to blast the bird above it, but Høsten shifted one clawed foot to clamp its head shut, the other keeping its wings pinned against its body.

The dragon man snarled and managed to wriggle free, unsheathing a dagger from a sheath on his forearm, obviously intending on digging it into one of Høsten's legs. Årvåken shrieked, startling him long enough into jumping and facing them with a snarl, and giving Alekt a chance to slide down and lunge at him, toppling the both of them off the Fury's back for a second time.

He was quick to grab the dragon-man's wrist first, the one that held the knife, and give it a sharp twist until he let go of it, rolling across the stone. This time he knew for sure that the dragonic screech came from the man, not the dragon, since it couldn't effectively roar at him with its jaw clamped shut.

The stranger immediately duck sharp clawed gloves into his side, just beneath his lower ribs, and used his entire body to flip Alekt over, fighting like a beast instead of a man. At the very least, it gave Alekt an opening to ram his elbow against the dragon-man's ear, which was more than effective to stagger him and slacken the other's grip so Alekt could shove him off. The stranger landed on their back and instinctively rolled onto their hands and knees, though their breathing was ragged and they swayed, still stunned by the blow to their head.

Alekt took that as his opportunity to jump and capture them in a choke-hold from behind. The dragon-man snarled and thrashed, flipping them again and trying to use his weight to crush Alekt to no avail, since they were roughly close to the same size, then tried to reach back over his shoulders and dig his claws into the other to drag him off. By then, Alekt had an arm around his waist, and it only took several beats for the fight to leave the other man as he was starved of air.

Alekt loosened his hold only enough to let the slightly taller male under him draw in breath, clacking at his avian partner. _Love, Chain, Here._

 _Yes yes, Love. Proud,_ she vocalized in return, not having wondered at all how the fight would play out, and so having stood her distance until it was done. She, one of the best of birds, had one of the most skilled of fly-partners, after all. She twisted her head around to dislodge a chain tied in a repeating circle beneath her saddle, dangling it next to Alekt as he pinned the stranger underneath his knee and twisted an arm back, quickly latching it and then doing the other before he could regain his bearings and resume fighting.

The chain was exceptionally long, enough so to also bind the dragon so it couldn't properly move, though even with that, they didn't risk letting it free from Høsten's grip. By then, both dragon and stranger were glaring with a mix of confusion, fear, and aggression, as well as better concealed calculation, clearly trying to think of an escape and testing their binds.

Those swirling emotions in twin green eyes turned into surprise when Alekt reached up and pulled his head coverings off, pulling the beak mask down from his mouth and nose, goggles away from sky-blue eyes, and feathered hood from short brown hair. Clearly, what they hadn't expected - even if they may have vaguely suspected - was a human beneath the bird-like costume.

Such was somewhat of the point, though.

Humans - and especially seafarers - were incredibly superstitious. To put a recognizable, human face to the ones who rode giant birds was to make it seem less of a hallucination or nightmarish, less of something to fear when crossing paths with them, and as a result, the birds something to be conquered and made obedient through any means. If one human could do it, or an entire culture, than so could others, which made the prize all the more attainable. If the birds, giant beyond belief, were ridden by creatures not of this world, as the tales that did exist went, then none would even dare try. A simple psychological illusion, but an effective one.

Even so, a wild man who could ride on the back of a deadly and feared beast such as the Night Fury would be similarly hard pressed to find a place to belong amongst human society, at least as more than a tool or weapon to be used and eventually tossed aside when that usefulness ran dry, so the question now was where he came from and how much of a threat he and his... Pet? Partner?... would be.

He decided to try speaking in the trade tongues, since it was the most wide-spread method of known communication, and there was no telling from how far these two came.

"Who are you?" he demanded, voice level but emanating authority. The dragon-man growled defiance, but it was minimal at best. He was still clearly aware of his sensitive position, and that hurting or killing him at the moment would be far too easy.

Alekt didn't let it bother him, entirely unaffected. The stranger still didn't relax, hunched defensively and pressing his back against the Night Fury's side, both him and the black dragon chattering to each other. Alekt couldn't say he understood all of the meanings, but he could tell that they at least understood every sound and subtle motion between the two of them fluently. He could at least grasp some of the concepts behind the sounds, since some things in animal language and body language were fairly universal.

There was crooning that was meant to be comforting, reassurances that were equally given and received. Uncertainty and fear about their situation, trapped by bigger and fiercer predators and faced with humans who, as a species, were known to hurt and kill dragons regularly and without mercy. Anger at the ones who had hunted, hurt, and trapped them, even though the hurt delivered was done rather sparingly so. Confusion, most likely at why they were being trapped and spoken to rather than killed straight away when they had been more or less trapped like helpless prey. Frustration, at what, Alekt could only guess, since it could be for any number of reasons.

He considered that maybe the dragon-man didn't know the trade languages. Perhaps he couldn't speak any human tongues at all. Even so, it was worth a try. He switched to Norse, repeating the question. He received an expression that looked vaguely like strained recognition, so perhaps he was onto something.

"Do you have names? Do you even understand what I'm saying?"

The dragon-man - who Alekt would guess couldn't be much older or younger than himself, somewhere in his own age range - went quiet and tilted his head, eyeing him in a way similar to a fledgling that was trying to assess something new and figure it out, but something not _so_ new as to frighten it away. He was starting to guess by the look, eyes trying to assess what he was expected to do and brow knitted in concentration, that perhaps the earlier frustration he'd detected was because of a lack of linguistic understanding.

Finally, he received a headshake and a clumsily uttered, "Nuh." Even so, clearly _some_ words were recognizable enough, even if it had taken a long time to process them, enough to give some sort of answer. It was definitely norse, but so garbled almost beyond recognition that he didn't know if he would understand a single word more complicated than the No he'd received, even though he understood that one word.

"You speak or understand Norse?" Alekt tried, tapping his own throat and making an outward motion from his mouth with a semi-open palm, as well as tapping his ear to communicate understanding it.

The man sat for a moment, trying to think through the words that Alekt offered up. Obviously it was familiar to him, but not fluently so. "Isss..." he hummed, tone trailing in uncertainty. "...nuh..."

Alekt chose to interpret it as _not very well_. It was better than nothing, but not by much. He would have to put more effort into making sure his words were understood then, putting more emphasis on pronunciation and speaking slow enough that the sounds could be caught clearly.

"Do you have names? Something to call yourselves?"

The dragon-man merely stared at him as if he were deaf and dumb, gibbering nonsense without meaning. Whatever scraps of language - human language, at least. Alekt still recognized that whatever communication passed between man and dragon was indeed its own intelligent conversation, just as his communication with Årvåken was - that he had managed to learn, it wasn't enough to uphold speaking much at all.

He needed to figure something else out then.

He snapped his fingers once, just to catch their attention better, and motioned faintly. "Dragon, human..."

"Nuh!" the dragon-man protested immediately, conviction in his eyes and the upward tilt of his head. "Nuh oooo-mn! Drakkkn! _Tt-th-ss_ drakkkn! _(click)-uhp_ drakkkn! Drakkkn hrrt!"

So he could speak somewhat after all. Alekt could at least pick out the sound to mean _dragon_ and something he assumed to be an attempt at saying _human_. 'Not human. Dragon.' Still, there were some sounds he couldn't discern.

" _Ttthss? (click)-uhp_?"

The dragon-man nodded his head towards the dragon, which shared an uncertain but potentially hopeful glance with him, likely seeing a chance that maybe, if they could communicate, they wouldn't be harmed. " _Tt-th-ss_ ," the dragon-man repeated. " _Tt-th-ss_ drakkkn." He had a harder time indicating himself with arms chained behind his back, shifting to his knees and sitting up taller, brushing his own chest with his chin. " _(click)-uhp_. _Tt-th-ss, (click)-uhp,_ drakkkn! _(click)_ -uudt drakkkn. Drakkkn kkko." The last he emphasized with a jerk of his head towards the ocean.

 _Understand that?_ Nao wondered drowsily.

 _Most,_ Alekt confirmed.

 _Do now, Love?_ Årvåken warbled curiously, resting her beak down on his head lightly, quietly chattering appreciation as he reached up and scratched under her chin.

 _Complicated. Still Far-Talk threat maybe,_ he vocalized, pondering the best course of action. Alekt had heard enough to suspect that the one who kept referring to himself as _(click)-uhp_ could communicate enough to serve as a potential problem. He had no idea where the dragon-man had come from, but if there were others like him, or if he served some sort of master, he could potentially direct dangerous enemies straight to their home, spreading information they wanted kept secret. In either case, there was no guarantee they would leave, and could serve to become a threat all their own. _Dragons Egg-eaters. Risky. Thinking._

The fledglings were chattering from behind Årvåken's tall legs, children and young birds alike peeking over at the Night Fury and its rider, vocalizing _Dragon? Dragon? Scary blackbolt. Fly-partner? Strange. Strange. Dragon fly-partners? Threat? New. Never-seen. You? You? No?_

Alekt noticed the dragon and its companion also noticed the fledglings, surprised and likewise curious, chattering their own sounds that were probably similar. The fledglings alone were each individually about the same size as the Night Fury was, albeit some of their size was their fluff. They could probably also figure out that where there were large birds and large hatchlings, there were also large eggs, a potential source of a good meal.

 _Seek Matriarch,_ Alekt decided. _Complicated. Flock-decision._

 _Yes, Love. Agreement,_ Årvåken approved, splaying out one wind for Alekt to climb to her back.

 _Carry. Matriarch, Flock-decision,_ Alekt informed Nao, the other rider nodding, while Høsten adjusted his hold on the dragon and grabbed the dragon-man, both trying to shake free and making sounds of alarm. He supposed that was only natural. Few things take anything else living back to their nests for any purpose other than one, to feed the young, though if that was to be their fate or something else, there were no promises to be made just yet.

That would be up to the rest of the Nest and the mother of the Flock to decide.


End file.
